Maggie: A Girl of the Streets and Other Stories Glossary

Glossary of Terms

aberration

abnormality; a divergence from usual behavior

acquiesce

to accept, to consent

adobe

a material of sun-dried earth and straw, often used to construct buildings

begot

produced as an effect of some cause; was the father of

beseech

to beg; to request with urgency

besiege

to crowd, or to surround with armed forces

conspicuous

obvious, easily noticeable

coquetry

flirtatiousness

covey

a small flock (for example, of birds)

daffy

crazy, mad, foolish

diabolical

of or relating to the devil; evil

dinghy

a small sailboat, or a rubber life raft

exemplary

honorable, above reproach

fatuous

silly, inane

floe

large sheet of floating ice on a body of water

florid

elaborately decorated, like flowers; red in hue

founder

to become disabled; to sink

gunwale

the upper edge of a boat's side, where the ship's guns used to be poised

imperturbable

unable to be disturbed; calm, serene

impious

irreverent, lacking respect or piety

incumbent

one who currently occupies a position or place

invective

an insult; abusive language

jocosely

humorously, jokingly

lambrequin

a piece of fabric used as a decorative drape for a shelf edge or window ledge

leonine

like a lion

micks

derogatory term for Irish immigrants

motley

diverse, multi-colored

omnibus

a horse-drawn covered wagon or motorized vehicle used for public transportation

opprobrious

disgraceful, infamous, deserving disapproval

oration

a formal and elaborate speech

pathos

sympathetic pity; something that tends to evoke emotion or sympathy

Pullman

a train's passenger car, especially used for long journeys because one could sleep in it, invented by George Pullman in 1857

sardonic

derisively humorous, mocking

scull

one of a pair of oars usually operated by one person

smite

to strike or hit hard

tenderfoot

a novice, a newcomer

tenement

a house used as a residence

thwart

to prevent; as noun, the oarsman's seat on a boat or dinghy

treachery

an act of betrayal, treason